(en) France, Courant Alternatif CA #226 - HOUSING: Against the case of the social workers and users solidarity! + The case of CREA TOULOUSE [machine translation]

Date
Fri, 15 Feb 2013 20:15:03 +0200

What is commonly called the housing crisis is, for some time, the headlines. Year after
year, the situation deteriorates. Every year, the arrival of winter, the media is
concerned about the plight of the homeless. Therefore, it would be more tolerable fault a
person dies outside housing the summer rather than the winter? No one knows. Still, there
are more homeless people who die in the summer than the winter. ---- This year, the
situation is particularly aggravated. In most cities, there are more and more families are
finding no emergency shelter to house them. There are several reasons behind this
situation. The main cause is the development of poverty, unemployment and rising rents,
the price of fluids (gas, electricity, water). Thus the number of evictions and housing
increases access to an apartment becomes no more difficult or impossible for many.

The social sector has undergone major changes in recent years. Whereas previously it was
in general, associations were proposals to funders (government, local authorities ...)
depending on the needs they were documenting, now it is the authorities who make bids
which meet associations. The social sector has become a market-based competition laws. For
example, a prefecture decided to open spaces for families to prevent them end up on the
streets after eviction from their homes. Departmental Directorate of Social Cohesion
(formerly DDCS DDASS) launches this offer with specifications. Different associations will
respond. The cost will be much more likely to be successful, even if it offers operation
does not meet the rights and dignity of future residents.

Implementation of actions is increasingly dependent on political decisions makers. It is
clear that the policies they implement are not based on social needs, but on conceptions
imposed by the capitalist system. It is not intended to address the issue of poverty, but
rather to promote the gap between rich and poor. This inevitably leads to the
impoverishment of large segments of the population. From this point of view, here as
elsewhere, the continuity of the right and Goche is not to demonstrate

Policy "Housing First" is set up by the Secretary of State for Housing Fillon government
also contributes. It was negotiated with FNARS (The National Federation of Home and
reintegration). It brings together most of the associations involved in the social sector.
In fact it is a federation of employers. ã under cover work for the autonomy of
individuals, this policy is to promote access to housing or shelter people in apartments
managed by associations. For it is not a demagogic speech, it would have easier access to
housing that was not the case. The objective of this policy is to reduce the budgets
allocated to CHRS (Centre accommodation and reintegration). Indeed, if people have access
to housing, we can reduce the CHRS places. These are homes where people are housed, fed
and social support being put in place for residents to meet their social and able to live
normally in a housing and having resources.

Overall, the social sector is in the process of undergoing restructuring. There are
approximately 40,000 associations active in the social field (any size confused thousands
of employees to ten). Under the Sarkozy presidency, the state wanted to reduce to 6000 by
promoting the consolidation of associations or ã absorption of smaller by larger. The
government estimates that there are too many contacts and he prefers to negotiate with
larger associations are generally more managers. To say that the smaller ones are
activists, there is a step that I not cross. The essential goal is to reduce the costs of
the social sector. Again, the arrival in power of Holland has not challenged this policy
choice.

Faced with this situation, several lines of struggle can be advanced. First requisitions
empty slots. As a material point of view that a legal standpoint, there is no problem for
them to be taken. There are enough empty housing to meet the needs. Three texts provide
the possibility of requisitioning: the 1945, the Besson law (by the now infamous) of 1998
(passed under the Jospin government but politicians and right Goche refused to apply).
Often mayors say they can commandeer housing, and this is only the power of the prefect.
But the mayor "has ... ... a power of requisition, even if it is not subject to any
specific text. It is under its general police powers that can then be led to adopt a
measure of requisition. Although rarely implemented, municipal requisitions are a
manifestation of traditional police powers of the Mayor (Council of State, April 1, 1960,
Lady Rousseau Council of State, 11 December 1991, the Company HLM PMQ Paris Basin). The
power to requisition the Mayor may have very diverse objects because it can be extended to
all goods and all services whose use is necessary to maintain public order, that is to
say, to ensure the good order, safety, security and public safety. It is for this reason
that the mayor may be led to commandeer a home. "(The mayor's powers regarding requisition
of housing, Olivier HermabessiÃre, Journal of Mayors, January 2005) This power of
requisition mayor relies on Article L. 2212-2 of the General Code of Territorial.

The squat is also a solution. But we must know what we are talking about. In many cities,
there are squats that are tolerated by the authorities. They are system D. In fact these
are people who open empty houses, quietly. In some cities, municipal and social services
are aware of the situation. Municipal police runs regularly reports on the people who live
there. As long as people do not disturb the neighbors and do not claim anything, they are
left alone. It is also a way to reduce pressure on emergency services. By cons, if
squatters open a place for activists in general the reaction is fast enough and strong:
the steps are taken to expel them under the guise of defending the right of ownership
after the Second World War, we can say that 'there was a housing crisis because of the
housing shortage because of the destruction caused by the war and the lack of construction
during the period between the two wars. But now, we are not in this situation, quite the
contrary. If human beings are on the streets it is only due to policy choices or rather
choice of companies. We are faced with a choice:

ï â whether it is private property prevails. Must therefore assume that more and more men,
women and children have only the sky for a roof and there are dead in the streets

ï â whether it is human life prevails, we must address the private ownership and advocate
for the free housing

The second line of struggle for more social workers. He is fighting for the respect of
human dignity users. In advancing this claim, there is a strong link between housing
conditions of households resident and working conditions of employees working in them. Can
hope to break the corporatism and especially create a convergence of interests. Residents
are no longer viewed as persons to attend, but as individuals fighting for their rights as
well as employees struggle to improve their working conditions. When you look at the
legislation in force, it is quite possible that no one is on the street against her will.

Some examples.

* In February 2012, the Council of State, in a judgment, established the right to housing
as a fundamental freedom. This means that any person calling 115 must be hosted the same
evening.

* In many emergency shelters, the number of nights is limited, which is illegal. Code of
Social Action and Family states that "any person accommodated in a structure of emergency
must receive a personalized and remain ... until its orientation is proposed ... to a
shelter or stable or care to housing ... '

* Every woman has at least one child under 3 years must be supported by the Social
Assistance for Children, which depends on the General Council, as required by the Code of
Social Action and Family. So if it is on the street, it must be hosted with his children.

* The Council of State in 3 stops states that the State is obliged to provide
accommodation, food and raiment for all asylum seekers. For example, the prefecture of the
Central Region has imposed an emergency totally illegal. After 7 nights they are out on
the street if the prefectural authorities decide.

If the state law applied to enforce it is supposed to, nobody would remain in the street
against her will. This applies to local authorities, including councils and mayors.

One might expect that employers associations can hear this claim. This is not the case. I
must say they have some leeway increasingly reduced. Previously, the State gave an overall
envelope for each association. She was doing to manage developing or not such action
against or in favor of another. She was accountable for its activity once a year. Now,
there has been a management action. Without going into details, Europe imposed by BOP
management (operational budget of the program). This means that every action of an
association is funded specifically: such as budget place in CHRS, another for 115, etc..
So these are the financiers who decide more action and development associations. Blackmail
the state funding is increasingly strong. Each association is trying to preserve its
nearly square. Competition between them becomes increasingly fierce.

Faced with their unwillingness to confront the state and other funders, they are in a
strong position and impose their choices. It is very curious, for example, that FNARS
speaks almost no respect for the rights of the users, at least not in practice. It is
limited to requesting accommodation places and additional resources, without discussing
the content and quality of actions. However, one of the functions of these associations
and workers is to acquaint users and thus help them to make. Usually the opposite happens.

Tours, for example, 14 referrals were won against the prefecture over the accommodation of
asylum seekers. The DDCS has demanded that turns a local families hosted emergency leave
room for the families who had their rights. Similarly, associations, always Tours (one may
think that this situation is not very original), prefer to rent a room in a hotel infamous
rather than rent housing. A room costs between 850 and 1000 â per month, while housing
costs about 400 â.

This aberration logic. On the one hand, it is easier to transfer people from a hotel room
accommodation (for the latter, then begin an interim which can be costly and time
consuming if the family has a good lawyer) . On the other hand, it is necessary that
housing conditions are spartan to avoid intake of air, especially for people of foreign
origin. It is intentionally that creates the conditions for survival harder in the hope of
removing the desire to come to France. This contributes to violate the right of asylum and
undermine the Geneva Convention.

This logic is affecting more and more people and not just people of foreign origin, as
shown in the daily situation where thousands of people remain outside, or the stress of
eviction from their homes. The claims of a housing for all and respect for the dignity and
rights of individuals are elements which allow control to highlight contradictions
emanating from the State. Thus, we can partially open fractures that could affect the
foundations of bourgeois society, as private property, think and act for the respect of
our dignity. Institutions of that society can not and do not want to. Our lives are more
important than their profits!

JC

The case of CREA Toulouse Repression and communication: how not to solve the housing
problem while waving

Requisition is in fashion at the highest peak of the state, Goche intends to hear his
difference on the "File" emergency housing. It is clear, you can feel the difference;
evictions socialists are so much more friendly! Toulouse as a laboratory for social
housing policy that does not change by putting the means.

Campaign Requisition Mutual Aid and Self-Management [1] holds for more than one year in
Toulouse. The goal is to stay between people galley by the requisition of vacant housing.
So simple that the government wants to get it over with quickly. It seems that Hall and
prefecture have implemented a two-pronged strategy. On the one hand, to show the muscles
with evictions unfold completely disproportionate means and secondly to enable the front
housing to cut the grass under the feet of the campaign.

Act 1: Repression

Nearly 300 CRS, a helicopter, specialized units ... It took the world to end the
occupation of 5000m2 URSSAF which have not been occupied for a few weeks, just take the
time to enjoy these new premises need decamping. The blow was hard and he had made any
attempt to flatten response. Justice had already opened a new technique to deny that the
occupations of CREA for housing. Therefore, they are more homes and, with this little find
legal legal deadlines before expulsion from one to two months to two days! It is
exhausting forces campaign leaving him no time to ask. The scandal is that, for power, the
implementation of solutions without any state intervention can not last. Yet membership
campaign that could get especially among social workers demand an answer a little more
elaborate. Those will have to use CREA to resolve the situation of people who come to see
and it starts to come out. If we begin to understand that the housing issue can be
resolved simply by requisitions, it will get messy.

2nd Act: Communication

The symbol of this strategy is probably the opening of a "night halt" [2] in the premises
of CREA first [3]. The prefect himself has recently opened without any serious development
is done (the window of the facade are still bricked!). It is especially not lend the blank
critics when it was a promise he had made at the time of the expulsion in August. From
that moment, it was felt that the prefecture had turned the corner by attacking the front
of the CREA project. It was just that "force is the law" but to demonstrate that
attempting to solve the housing problem by requisitions, squatters did anything. Now two
political projects that clash: organize misery preserving private property or resolve the
housing problem by attacking. Since the government has allocated Ayrault for emergency
housing at the national level, announced premiere in Toulouse, this would double the
accommodation places relative to last year [4]. In addition, there are regular meetings
with leaders of social work. In the end it all comes to the same conclusion: there is a
lack of places and people remain homeless. It lacks, despite all these "efforts" 170
places emergency shelter. A burst of energy for not much really.

= full expulsion occupations

Campaign now finds itself multiplied occupations. There are nearly 10 houses that were
open most Bonnefoy in the neighborhood, not far from the station. The location is not
innocent: this area is soon to be the target of a major project. Progress looks as a
high-speed rail link. This will tell you if we do not care, but many years ago that the
government and the local bourgeoisie is the dream of a cradle quick accessibility to the
capital. Toulouse is too enclosed, inaccessible handicapped in the race for the shallot
metropolisation. The challenge for the CREA, is to link the struggle for housing with the
broader issue of the development of the city. Except that the project, if a lot about him,
not yet concrete consistency. We know that the City of arm to preempt that expropriations
must take place on the grip but nothing final about the content of the project. It is
possible that squats already expelled all, do not fall within the temporality of the
project. On the other hand the fact of occupying small houses belonging to private
multiplies court procedures and use of force. In fact, this campaign seems less publicly,
missing a place of convergence and visibility to enable it to mobilize accordingly and
found a little circuit. CREA is in a moment a little tricky with respect to the dynamics
of the last winter [5] but this should not obscure that it is always close to 200 people
are housed requisitions popular and the collective in doing more a dozen places occupied.

Rico, Toulouse.

1. The Collective for the requisition and mutual self has changed all that with such and
became CREA or Campaign Requisition for Mutual and Self-Management Campaign ... to go
fast. 2. A night halt without sleeping accommodation is remaining open all night to
distribute hot drinks and allow to sit for hot overnight or a few hours and he must leave
at dawn. 3. The first 70 went to CREA damsels in Toulouse was held more than one year and
expelled at the end of August 2012. 4. For the record, the envelope for the Midi-PyrÃnÃes
region of 650,000 euros and wheelbarrows, not even three weeks of intervention NDDL. No
doubt about it on the priorities of the socialist state. 5. See CA No. 221 of June 2012
_________________________________________
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